Author: Smart City Memphis

The Memphis economy has reached the moment of truth.Languishing in the lower rungs of the economic indicators that matter, we have reached the point where we either snap out of it or we sink into the abyss with Detroit and...

The race to attract and keep talent is on. Even in this economy, many companies – and cities – are doing everything they can to make themselves more appealing to college graduates and those who may be seeking new...

The Washington Post headline could have just as easily been in The Commercial Appeal. It said: “Safe Harbor” Offers Shelter From Strict “No Child” Targets.The report said that hundreds of schools in Maryland, Virginia and...

Ah, springtime in Memphis.Blooming flowers, Beale Street Music Festival and another organization chart for Memphis City Schools.Yep, there’s yet another one this week following Interim Superintendent Dan Ward’s creation of a new...

As our school students start taking the state tests that determine if they are proficient and if their schools are considered successful, here’s a music video, “Not On The Test,” that helps keep it in...

It’s one of those weeks when we have to fight the thought that our elected officials are losing their minds.And it’s only Tuesday.First, Memphis Mayor Willie W. Herenton announces – without a hint of concern about the average...

While we frequently decry the crisis that exists in Memphis City Schools and the more than 100 schools that are not meeting state benchmarks, we want to take this opportunity to salute the schools – 2 high schools, 7...

Get ready for one of those sham celebrations manufactured by the Tennessee Department of Education to mark alleged improvements in student academic performance.While talking about how the state will toughen up its standards for...

There is no sacred cow in the public sector that compares to public education – or can moo as loudly.We’ve been hearing the familiar refrain since June when the Shelby County Board of Commissioners put $11 million in new...

Say the word community and it still brings to mind thoughts of people with something in common who identify with each other as a group and usually as a neighborhood. But this week, the meaning of community is being stretched in...